UAE-UK Taskforce Discuss in London Bilateral Relations

The seventh meeting of the UAE-UK Taskforce took place at the Foreign and Commonwealth in London on 21 March 2012. The meeting was hosted by Alistair Burt MP, Minister for the Middle East and South Asia and the UAE delegation was led by Dr Anwar Gargash, the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Minister of State for International Development, Alan Duncan, joined the meeting to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on international development cooperation. The Taskforce noted the close cooperation between the UK and UAE on the London Conference on Somalia. Ministers agreed that the UAE's piracy conference in June, and their chairmanship of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, would be particularly helpful. Ministers discussed number of areas for cooperation including the launch of the new Global Counter Terrorism Forum Countering Violent Extremism Working Group on 3-4 April in Abu Dhabi, and discussed priorities for their co-chairmanship of this group.

Moreover; Ministers discussed how to develop the bilateral relations and partnership in education, trade and investment, and energy. Furthermore; the Taskforce emphasised the importance of resolving a number of on-going consular cases. Ministers were pleased to see that the second round of Prisoner Transfer Agreement (PTA) negotiations had been scheduled and discussed the importance of signing the agreement soon. Ministers also emphasized the continued good work of the UAE-UK Consular Working Group and its value in helping to progress consular issues. The Taskforce was established in July 2010, following the visits of the British Prime Minister David Cameron to UAE, and the UAE Foreign Minister H. H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the UK.

The delegation of the United Arab Emirates, included Dr. Saeed Al Shamsi, Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs and Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Faris Al Mazroui, Assistant Minister for security affairs, military, Abdul Rahman Ghanem Al Mutaiwee, UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Lana Nusseibeh, Director of Policy Planning, and Saud Al Shamsi, responsible for United Kingdom unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.